Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Another cyclist loses their life. | |
Posted by: | Al Webber | |
Date/Time: | 24/06/15 22:49:00 |
If you are trying to raech the "interested but concerned" the headlines in the Standard really aren't helping matters. Every fatal accident I can think of in recent times has been at a junction. It is safe to cycle along a straight piece of road - apart from the pedestrians who walk out in front of you and send you to A&E that is (personal experience). Screaming out for segregated lanes all over the place as the Standard, and some of the cycling campaign groups are doing is counter productive. Boris's policy of upgrading junctions is much better, but everyone seems to be screaming for segregation. If you want to get people cycling then what you want is publicity that says, I get to work 10 minutes quicker, save £123 a month on a zone 1-2 travelcard, and another £50 on gym fees. In regard to the mix of cyclists there are probably a disproportionate number of white middle class men who commute into central London. The cycling mix probably reflects the commuting mix to some extent. Where there is a discrepancy is in the number of women, but there is a discrepancy in the number of men and women who do exercise in general so it is part of a wider problem. In the outer boroughs, the biggest problem I see is bad drivers. For my current job I cycle from Grove Park to Acton Town. There are people who cut you up, who pull out in front of you, get too close overtaking up Bollo lane. Realistically none of these are likely to cause me any major harm, but they are going to put an inexperienced cyclist off. Drivers have to be forced to drive better. The only way it is going to happen is for the authorities to throw the book at bad drivers. I'd put 20 plain clothes police out on bikes with cameras around London. Once the Evening Standard started reporting that they issued several hundred penalties in the first week it might have a deterrent effect on people driving badly around cyclists. I acknowledge that there are bad cyclists around. I would also put police in vans who would confiscate the bikes of people who cycle at night without lights, or ride at high speeds on the pavement, or go through pedestrian crossings amd don't stop. Proper enforcement of the law on all parties would bring about a complete change of culture. That is what we need. |